THE ART OF LIGHTING: Lighting each Room, Simplified

Many modern interior designers will agree that lighting plays a vital aspect in homes; not an afterthought that many homeowners consider it to be. Besides its functional purposes of illuminating your space, lighting inspires productivity and enlivens your mood, powerfully transforming your abode and its ambience in the best possible style.

As every room serves multiple purposes, lighting features should be well planned to correspond to the setting of each room and more importantly compliment your personal lifestyle.

Let’s take a better look at some simple yet essential pointers to get you started on the right path of layered lighting...

AMBIENT LIGHT

Also referred to as general lighting, ambient lighting is your first and likely most important layer - activated as the primary means for lighting a room. Intended to light up a room in its entirety, it creates a comfortable uniform level of light without too much glare, setting the tone of a space.

Recommended fixtures to provide ambient lighting:

· Ceiling-mounted or recessed fixtures

· Chandeliers

· Light kits on ceiling fans

· Track lights

· Wall sconces

Suitable for:

Spaces where fixtures with wide light beams provide a consistent lighting for optimal orientation and visibility.

Ambient light is good enough as a central source to allow you to navigate an entire room safely but may not be focused enough for more specialised undertaking, which brings us to..

TASK LIGHT

Instead of lighting the whole room, task lighting is a smaller more concentrated light that helps reduce the strain on your eyes, naturally stimulating your brain, for task such as reading, working, sewing, cooking and etc. For a more pleasant illumination, it is often best to find a right balance to avoid harsh or lightings that casts troublesome shadows.

Halogen or LED bulbs work well for task lighting because they produce a similar white light to daylight. Nowadays, people go with LED bulbs as they are more energy-efficient compared to halogen.

Recommended fixtures to provide task lighting:

· Directed track or recessed lights

· Under-cabinet lighting

· Swing arm lamps

· Table or desk lamps

· Pendant lights

· Vanity lights

Suitable for:

Enhancing visibility for detailed task work

While task lighting has a work-oriented purpose, the most decorative lighting that amps up visual drama and personality to a space is…

ACCENT LIGHTS

By design, accent lighting differs from the other types of lighting in that aesthetic trumps over functionality. It builds upon the ambient lighting by directing the attention of a viewer to a specific area, adding dimensions to your home.

When you plan your accent lightings, think of your home as a work of art, considering the location of paintings, gorgeous furniture pieces or even architectural features that you would like to highlight. It is important to use accent lighting appropriately, this means doing it subtly. You want your guest to notice the objects and not the way it is being lit.

Recommended fixtures to provide accent lighting: · Chandeliers with dimmer switcher

· Directional recessed spot lighting or downlights

· Track lightings

· Wall-mounted luminaires or wall sconces

· Uplighters

· Picture lights

· Slim line bar

· Niche lighting

Suitable for:

Creating a very sophisticated atmosphere, evoking feelings of meaning and importance to the architectural features and standout showpieces as design centrepieces.

LIGHTING TIPS BY THE ROOM

Many people recommend starting with ambient lighting first and working their way into task and accent lighting. However, before you dive straight into the types of fixtures, we suggest defining the different zones and how each space is to be utilised. Once you have depicted the flow of movement, it is then complemented by the placement of the lightings from room to room.

LIVING ROOM

The living room is generally the largest room in the house- a hub of activities, where family gather to watch TV, relax and entertain. It cannot be overstated that ambient lighting is the foundational layer to achieve an effective well-lit lightscape. Alongside recessed downlights for full illumination, add a pendant or chandelier as a centrepiece, for an extra decorative touch. You may also choose to set accents and let the light become part of your interior design, creating an intimate yet relaxed social atmosphere.

KITCHEN/ DINING ROOM

An area, where bright light is more important than ambience, is the kitchen to bring it all to life. If you have a kitchen island, consider hanging pendants overhead, they can be the jewellery of the kitchen- an important fixture to help beyond your everyday tasks. Don’t forget under-counter lightings, they make for great task lighting. Run Led light strips on the bottom of your upper cabinets, pulling them forward to the front of the cabinet for maximum illumination. This is the easiest way to create an even lighted counter space for food prep and cooking.

BEDROOM

Such a sacred refuge deserves only the best. Keeping to soft warm lights, your bedroom lighting must also reflect the overall design and colour scheme you have meticulously incorporated in the other rooms. Indirect lighting is always preferred as it eliminates the need for ceiling light which shines directly into the eyes. For a small bedroom, it is important to remember proportion and scale when selecting lighting.

If you have enough floor space, placing a tall floor lamp by an armchair or even next to the bed can be a great way to bring additional light source into the room. Similarly, a good table lamp is a perfect reading light that you can add to end table or each side of your bed, creating a beautiful sense of symmetry. Lastly, in lieu of table lamps, never underestimate the impact of a well-placed wall light to open up the space and limit clutter. We highly recommend warm white lighting that can be dimmable in order to adjust light levels to your needs, radiating a nice ambient feel.

BATHROOM

Trust us when we say the bathroom is never the same twice in a day. In the morning, it is a place to put on your game face as fast as possible, ready for work or school. By evening, it transforms into an atmospheric bathroom to relax and recharge. Hence, with a clever lighting plan, your bathroom lighting can be adaptable to the changing situations throughout the day, assisting your everyday routine.

From a central ceiling fixture or LED cove lights for ambient lighting, to dimmable wall lights that set special accents for a cosy atmosphere, choose simple and minimalistic lighting that do not overwhelm your bathroom. In combination, mirror lightings provide a pleasant artificial lighting as a replace for daylight in windowless bathrooms to eliminate all shadows.

LIGHTEN UP WITH BRIGHT IDEAS

What may seem so inherently simple has several layers of complexities. When the sky is the limit with endless choice of design styles and captivating hues, lighting a room is task that can be both fun and challenging at the same time.

However, when achieved, lightings can make a difference in so many ways. And it does so inexpensively compared to other home fixtures or remodelling options.

At Roxwell, we have bright ideas to improve the dull appearance of a room by enriching it with a little personality, welcoming you, your family and your guest to enjoy your home to its full potential.

For comfort, utility and beauty, contact us 92275485